STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — vening last week, I left the paper with something raging on my mind: Red bell peppers. Now, that might sound a little crazy. But after you read a lot of really good recipes — think a few hundred Advance Cookbook contest entries — some things just stoke your appetite. Hey, it could have been worse: That momentary craving could have been for chocolate mousse, hazelnut cheesecake or that yummy-sounding Coconut Macaroon recipe courtesy of Rosemarie Mangione of Silver Lake.

Yes, there was a lot of bell pepper inspiration happening that evening of recipe reading. Picture the colorful role it took in a Vegetable Napoleon — a portobello mushroom layered with eggplant, red and yellow peppers plus fresh basil leaves. That was the brainchild of Michael Hagan of Grant City, by the way. And the capsicum took center stage in Cathy Foster’s Chicken ‘n’ Peppers Pasta Skillet. The Great Kills cook entered a formula for bite-sized, skinless chicken breasts tossed with green pepper, onion and garlic finished with mozzarella and grated cheese. (Look for these recipes in the 2011 Advance Cookbook on March 20.)

Frankly, I was in the mood for Indian food that night, maybe something spiked with a little ginger, something touched by cream or packed with paneer. The accompanying recipe fit the bill.

“Creamy, tangy and slightly spicy, this dish might strike you as more Eastern European than Indian. But the seasoning will bring you back to the right continent,” writes Bonnie S. Benwick, a food journalist with The Washington Post. She adds, “The original recipe called for cooking down the liquid more than we’ve done here; we like having lots of sauce for dunking bread, and we found this method keeps the chicken tender.”

On the way home, I stopped at Met Foods in Castleton Corners. Hmm — what to choose: Holland bell peppers versus those from Mexico? Both varieties looked wonderful in their brilliant, unblemished state. The difference, aside from the price with the Mexican peppers being significantly less per pound (in this case $2 less), is that the Holland ones have a thicker wall. They tend to be sweeter, snappier and full of sweet pepper flavor.

Whichever kind you choose, remember that peppers freeze quite well. To do so, slice and seed them. Submerge in generously salted, boiling water for about 3 minutes. Pat dry with a cloth, spread on paper towels and secure in a zipper locked bag. These will stay intact for up to 1 year.

RECIPE: CHICKEN WITH SOUR CREAM AND RED BELL PEPPER

(Serves 4 or 5)

1 ½ -inch piece ginger root

6 large cloves garlic

Splash plus 1 ¼ cups just-boiled water, or more as needed

1 medium onion

1 large red bell pepper

3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons ground coriander

Salt

½ to ¾ teaspoon red chili powder

¼ cup regular or low-fat sour cream (do not use nonfat)

1½ teaspoons garam masala (Indian spice blend)

Peel the ginger and cut it crosswise into coins, then drop them into a blender along with the garlic and a splash of the hot water. Puree into a paste, adding water as needed.

Finely chop the onion. Stem and seed the bell pepper, then cut the flesh into 1-inch pieces. Finely chop the tomatoes, reserving their juices. Cut the chicken into 2-inch chunks, trimming off any fat.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan or sauté pan over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the onion and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until it has picked up color. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste from the blender; once its water has evaporated (about 30 seconds), stir in the ground coriander, salt, chili powder and tomatoes; cover and cook for about 6 minutes to reduce the juices a bit. Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, then add the remaining 1¼ cups of hot water. Once the liquid has come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, add the pieces of bell pepper, then cover and cook for 10 minutes. The chicken should be almost cooked through.

Increase the heat to high; cook for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the sour cream and garam masala; mix well. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. The mixture should be creamy but not too thick; if you want it thinner, stir in a little of the hot water.